1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement for an automatic washer detergent dispenser which washes a granular detergent into the wash bath automatically as an incident of water being supplied to the dispenser assembly and which includes a separate vessel that can be inserted for dispensing liquid detergent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Complete dispensing of granular detergent can sometimes be difficult to achieve. This is particularly true when cold water is used for the washing and dispensing process. Depending on the geometry of the dispenser reservoir and water inlet arrangement, some of the detergent may float on top of the water stream and be prevented from escaping from the dispenser. In some cases, introduction of the water may cause large clumps of detergent to form which are too large to pass through the dispenser outlet. It has also been found that a substantial quantity of the detergent is sometimes simply pushed to another region of the dispenser reservoir where it remains as water flows around the mass of detergent to unblocked portion of the dispenser outlet. These problems are most likely to arise in dispensers having narrow, slotlike outlets, which is a desirable outlet configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,970 discloses a multiple compartment dispenser that includes a central reservoir for dispensing granular detergent. Detergent is flushed from the compartment by means of a water stream that is supplied to the lower side wall of the compartment as shown in detail in FIG. 3.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,543 discloses a granular detergent dispenser that is incorporated in a manual lint filter within the water recirculation path of an automatic washer. The dispenser includes a selectively movable detergent tray, from which the detergent is washed by the recirculating water stream. The water stream simply sweeps through the detergent tray.